Rallying for two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Royals edged the Rangers, 3-2. K.C. trailed, 2-1, when Amos Otis began the bottom of the ninth wth a double and took third on a single by Lee May. Steve Comer then replaced Jon Matlack on the hill for the Rangers and walked Willie Aikens to load the bases.

A sacrifice fly by Frank White plated Otis with the tying run. Comer was derricked in favor of John Henry Johnson, who struck out pinch-hitter Jamie Quirk for the second out. But Willie Wilson then rapped a single to drive home the winning run. [The Sporting News]



Kansas City Royals 3, Texas Rangers 2
Game Played on Tuesday, May       12, 1981 (Night game) at Royals Stadium
Rangers      0  2  0    0  0  0    0  0  0  -   2  9  0
Royals       0  0  0    0  0  1    0  0  2  -   3 11  0


Rangers              AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG      Royals               AB   R   H RBI    BB  SO    AVG
Wills 2b              4   0   1   0     0   0   .298      Wilson lf             5   0   2   1     0   0   .274
Rivers cf             4   0   0   0     0   1   .286      Washington ss         4   0   0   0     0   1   .227
Oliver dh             4   0   1   0     0   0   .314      G. Brett 3b           4   1   4   0     0   0   .291
Bell 3b               4   0   1   0     0   0   .304      McRae dh              4   0   1   0     0   1   .234
Grubb rf              4   0   0   0     0   0   .306      Otis cf               3   1   2   1     0   0   .224
Putnam 1b             3   1   1   0     1   0   .292      May 1b                4   0   1   0     0   0   .364
Roberts lf            4   1   3   1     0   0   .368        Garcia pr           0   1   0   0     0   0   .091
Sundberg c            3   0   1   0     1   0   .261      Wathan rf             3   0   1   0     0   0   .299
Mendoza ss            4   0   1   1     0   2   .256        Aikens ph           0   0   0   0     1   0   .320
Matlack p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      White 2b              2   0   0   1     1   0   .200
  Comer p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000      Grote c               3   0   0   0     0   0   .250
  J. Johnson p        0   0   0   0     0   0   .000        Quirk ph            1   0   0   0     0   1   .250
                                                          Leonard p             0   0   0   0     0   0   .000

Totals               34   2   9   2     2   3             Totals               33   3  11   3     2   3

Time of Game: 2:18   Attendance: 19,155
Left on Base: Rangers 7, Royals 8
DP: Rangers 2, Royals 2
Doubles: Putnam (6), Roberts (5), G. Brett 2 (7), Otis (4)
Sacrifice Flies: Otis (3), White (2)
GIDP: Grubb (4), May (1), Grote (1)


Rangers                IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Matlack L(1-3)          8    10   3   3   1   2   0  33   3.38
Comer                   0.1   0   0   0   1   0   0   2   3.09
J. Johnson              0.1   1   0   0   0   1   0   2   2.13
Totals                  8.2  11   3   3   2   3   0  37

Royals                 IP     H   R  ER  BB  SO  HR BFP    ERA
Leonard W(3-4)          9     9   2   2   2   3   0  36   2.87
Totals                  9     9   2   2   2   3   0  36

Wild Pitches: Leonard (2)

Umpires: HP - Russ Goetz, 1B - George Maloney, 2B - Ken Kaiser, 3B - Bill Haller


RANGERS 1ST: Wills flied out to right; Rivers struck out; Oliver
grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers
0, Royals 0.

ROYALS 1ST: Wilson grounded out (first unassisted); Washington
grounded out (third to first); G. Brett doubled to left; McRae
struck out; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 0, Royals 0.

RANGERS 2ND: Bell made an out to shortstop; Grubb lined to
center; Putnam doubled to right; Roberts singled to left [Putnam
scored]; Sundberg singled to left [Roberts to third]; Mendoza
singled to left [Roberts scored, Sundberg to second]; Wills
grounded out (pitcher to first); 2 R, 4 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers
2, Royals 0.

ROYALS 2ND: Otis singled to left; May grounded into a double
play (shortstop to second to first) [Otis out at second]; Wathan
singled to left; White made an out to second; 0 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1
LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 0.

RANGERS 3RD: Rivers grounded out (third to first); Oliver
singled to left; Leonard threw a wild pitch [Oliver to second];
Bell flied out to left; Grubb grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 0.

ROYALS 3RD: Grote grounded out (shortstop to first); Wilson
singled to shortstop; Washington struck out; G. Brett singled to
right [Wilson to third]; McRae flied out to center; 0 R, 2 H, 0
E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 0.

RANGERS 4TH: Putnam lined to left; Roberts made an out to
second; Sundberg flied out to left; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.
Rangers 2, Royals 0.

ROYALS 4TH: Otis grounded out (third to first); May made an out
to first; Wathan grounded out (second to first); 0 R, 0 H, 0 E,
0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 0.

RANGERS 5TH: Mendoza was called out on strikes; Wills grounded
out (second to first); Rivers grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 0.

ROYALS 5TH: White walked; Grote grounded into a double play
(shortstop to second to first) [White out at second]; Wilson
flied out to right; 0 R, 0 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 0.

RANGERS 6TH: Oliver grounded out (shortstop to first); Bell
grounded out (pitcher to first); Grubb lined to center; 0 R, 0
H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 0.

ROYALS 6TH: Washington flied out to center; G. Brett singled to
right; McRae singled to center [G. Brett to third]; Otis hit a
sacrifice fly to right [G. Brett scored]; On a bunt May grounded
out (catcher to second); 1 R, 2 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 2,
Royals 1.

RANGERS 7TH: Putnam grounded out (shortstop to first); Roberts
singled to left; Sundberg lined into a double play (second to
first) [Roberts out at first]; 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2,
Royals 1.

ROYALS 7TH: Wathan grounded out (pitcher to first); White made
an out to second; Grote grounded out (third to first); 0 R, 0 H,
0 E, 0 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 1.

RANGERS 8TH: Mendoza struck out; Wills singled to right; Rivers
flied out to center; Oliver grounded out (shortstop to first); 0
R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 1.

ROYALS 8TH: Wilson lined to second; Washington grounded out
(shortstop to first); G. Brett doubled to right; McRae grounded
out (third to first); 0 R, 1 H, 0 E, 1 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 1.

RANGERS 9TH: Bell singled to right; Grubb grounded into a double
play (second to shortstop to first) [Bell out at second]; Putnam
walked; Roberts doubled to left [Putnam to third]; Sundberg was
walked intentionally; Mendoza grounded out (second to first); 0
R, 2 H, 0 E, 3 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 1.

ROYALS 9TH: Otis doubled to right; May singled to left [Otis to
third]; GARCIA RAN FOR MAY; AIKENS BATTED FOR WATHAN; COMER
REPLACED MATLACK (PITCHING); Aikens walked [Garcia to second];
White hit a sacrifice fly to center [Otis scored]; J. JOHNSON
REPLACED COMER (PITCHING); QUIRK BATTED FOR GROTE; Quirk struck
out; Wilson singled to center [Garcia scored, Aikens to second];
2 R, 3 H, 0 E, 2 LOB.  Rangers 2, Royals 3.